A lot has changed in Kildare since they claimed the TG4 Intermediate All Ireland Championship last September. There has been a huge turnover in players as many of that successful side have moved on to be replaced by talented youngsters. They suffered relegation from Division 2 of the Lidl NFL without winning a match and it was a similar story in the Leinster Championship. They will be huge underdogs against Mayo which might well suit them. Mary Hulgraine is the current All Star goalkeeper but she will need to be at her very best as will experienced players like Erica Burke, Róisín Byrne and Ellen Dowling. Mayo were disappointed by their performance in defeat to Galway in the Connacht Final so they will be keen to put on a better display. A powerful middle third grouping of Martha Carter, Aileen Gilroy and Fiona McHale will aim to provide plenty of possession for their dangerous forwards that includes Cora Staunton.

Mayo will be expected to win comfortably but Kildare have nothing to lose and will be sure to put in a determined performance.

Down are coming into this match on the back of a disappointing Ulster final performance and will be determined to make up for that when they face Roscommon. Much of their hopes will rest on the shoulders of their ace attacker, Kyla Trainor. Roscommon have been competitive in Connacht despite not reaching the Final and they will hope that having those competitive matches under their belts will have them well prepared for the Down challenge.

Leitrim have been one of the top teams in Intermediate football in recent years but the chasing pack seem to have caught up to them with Sligo winning the last two Connacht titles in a row. Áine Tighe is their talisman and she will again carry all the hopes for the Westerners this weekend. Longford are on an upward curve after securing the Lidl NFL Division 4 title earlier this Summer to add to their 2016 TG4 Intermediate All Ireland title. Leitrim will need to be at their very best if they hope to avoid defeat at the hands of a determined Longford side on Saturday.

This is the big match of this weekend TG4 All Ireland Championship fixtures. Cork and Monaghan have produced some wonderful encounters in recent years with last year’s TG4 Al Ireland semi final between the 2 sides being another example of this. There is mixed news for Cork who welcome back their captain, Ciara O’Sullivan, into the starting line up but will be without the services of 2 time All Star defender, Marie Ambrose, who is unavailable. Bríd Stack will be one of the leaders in a youthful Rebel side who will hope that their corner forward duo of Eimear Scally and Orla Finn will provide the scores to see them through. Monaghan are an experienced side that will not be overawed by playing the champions. Their half back line of McAnespie, Courtney and McNally are particularly strong whilst their midfield pairing of Eimear McAnespie and Cora Courtney are capable of dominating this sector. Caoimhe Mohan is a vital player for Monaghan, when she plays well they tend to win but when she struggles so do Monaghan. This should be a great match that could go either way, there is a school of thought that says Cork are vulnerable but, Cork love to prove those doubters wrong.

Cork and Galway have been amongst the two most dominant counties in the country at underage level as they have developed a great rivalry. Should Cork win this match it will be their third Minor A All Ireland title in a row whereas victory for Galway would complete the underage clean sweep of Under 14, Under 16 and Minor All Irelands.